If you decide not to use professional movers/packers and will be packing your home, here is a guide on when you should pack your household items.

WHAT TO PACK 4 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

Go ahead and pack items that aren’t being used.  Crawl Spaces, attics, basement storage, certain garage items are good to pack at this point.  Also, set up a staging area for packed boxes like on a main level (formal dining room or seldom used front room) or in the garage.

WHAT TO PACK 3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

Out of season items (holiday or clothing) decorative items, artwork, and a formal dining room filled with china, curio cabinets with fragiles, or any non-essential day-to-day items.  A seldom used front room (after it’s packed) works well as a staging area.  The garage and or shed are also good to finish off 3 weeks before the move.

WHAT TO PACK 2 WEEKS BEFORE YOUR MOVE

This is the week to finish off everything that isn’t absolutely critical day-to-day; 90% of kitchen, home office, most toys, clothing, and everything else that you don’t have to have available.

WHAT TO PACK THE WEEK BEFORE YOU MOVE

Pack the rest of your clothing leaving only what you will need for the last few days.  Finish the kitchen and use paper plates or eat out the last few days.  Electronics and most TV’s should be taken down, leave one if need be for viewing.  All packing should be complete within a few days of your move except for some clothing and a box or two of what we call “keep with you” items.

WHAT TO PACK THE DAY BEFORE YOUR MOVE

Checkbooks, ID’s, next day or 2 clothing, keys to new home, TV (and or other remotes), medication, personal grooming items, a laptop, and anything else that you cannot be without.  These items will go with you in your vehicle.

Now there are deviations from this list depending on your move and what type of “stuff” you have but this is a good general guide to follow when you want to know when to pack before your move.

Whether you move yourself or use professional movers, there are a few different reasons why items are on this list.  From legal reasons, to safety, to liability, to convenience are all potential reasons but we’ll go point by point and tell you why you should keep these items with you or not pack them at all.

1. 1.        Medications should be kept with you for safety. 
2. 2.       Personal grooming items should be treated like medications and kept with you so you’ll be ready to face the day after your move.
3. 3.       Jewelry and other valuables cannot be insured by movers without a specific “high value inventory” so they should be kept with you.
4. 4.       Flammables and other hazardous materials (like charcoal lighter, ammunition, etc) should not be packed at all for safety reasons and movers are not licensed to haul such items.
5. 5.       Checkbooks, wallets, ID’s, purses, and money should be kept with you because you will probably need them immediately or almost immediately and like other valuables are not insurable by moving companies
6. 6.       Important documents like titles, deeds, birth certificates should be kept with out to protect against identity theft and the hassle of having to replace these documents if they are lost or stolen.
7. 7.       Perishable food (from the fridge) or any container that the seal has been broken on should not be packed.  This will help avoid spillage and spoilage ruining your shipment.
8. 8.       Remote controls to all electronics should be kept with you for convenience.  If you think losing a remote for an hour stinks, think about losing it for a week.
9. 9.       Laptops, I Pads, or other computer items should be kept with you for your convenience.  You’ll want it to get up and running as soon as possible in your new home so you can Google local pizza places.
10. 10.   The keys to your new place (garage door opener, etc) should be kept with you too.  You’d be amazed how many people pack these critical items in a box and have to search for them upon arriving at the new house.

This may seem like a lot of items to take with you but, believe me, it’s only a few boxes.  The aggravation and expense that can be avoided by following these packing tips on what not to pack are well worth the work of putting a few extra boxes in your vehicle.

Moving across the country is a serious pain, but if you have to there some decisions you need to make and some things to keep in mind.

You need to choose weather or not you want to fly your stuff or drive.  There’s some things you need to take into account with both.

Flying

-Finding the best coast for airfare.

-How much you can transport on the plane.

-Research moving companies that can take your stuff to the airport.

-Get rid of anything you can part with.  (People have a lot of crap)

Driving

-Plot your pathway to your new house.

-Get your car checked out for any problems, or be sure the moving van is in premium condition.

-See what it would cost to rent a moving van that comes along with a driver,  as driving a truck, if you are unfamiliar with one, can be seriously tough, and dangerous.

-Take into account food and motel prices, that can add up fast.

Overall it might be easier to fly, but really it depends on where you’re going.  Basically moving across the country requires a ton of planing.  Plan far in advance so you’re not rushing around at the last minute trying to get everything together.

PACK ONE ROOM AT A TIME: If you pack a little here and there, it doesn’t look like you are making any progress.  Once you finish a room, you can move on.

MARKING YOUR BOXES: Mark you boxes on 2 sides, near the top right corner.  Put down the room:  MBR: master bedroom, K: kitchen, DR:  dining room, BEDROOM 2:  or name of person in bedroom, FR-family room, B: Basement, G:  Garage, AT:  Attic, CR: Crawlspace.  It also helps to put a brief description of the items inside the box (t-shirts, cd’s, kitchen utensils, etc).  Mark the box if it is fragile.

PURGE BEFORE YOU PACK: There is no reason to move something and then to get rid of it.  Discard or donate anything that you don’t want before you start to pack.

CONTAINER SIZES (AND CONTENTS TO PACK):

The denser the contents=the smaller the box.

Looser the contents=larger the box.

Books, files, dvds, etc should be packed in a book box (1.5 cubic ft).

Accessories, knick knacks, food can be packed in medium cartons (3.0 cubic ft).

Clothing and Lamps are good in large cartons (4.5 cubic ft).

Pillows, comforters, lampshades are good in extra large cartons (6.0 cubic feet)

Dish packs are special double walled boxes for breakables, dishes, glasses, and other breakables, and will be covered in a special kitchen packing section.

Mirrors, pictures, wall hangings, are good in a mirror carton.

VALUABLES and CRITICAL ITEMS TO TAKE WITH YOU:

 Pack one or two boxes with critical and valuable items and take them with you.  Pack and take your own valuables, your mover cannot be liable for them.  Pack medicine or anything critical items, like a checkbook, passport, ID’s, birth certificates, in their own box.  Also a box containing items like remotes, TV’s, or Av’s, phones, laptops, garage openers, keys etc, and other electronics in their own box and put them in your car.  Finally movers don’t generally have authority to haul hazardous material, charcoal lighter, flammables, caustics (like battery acid), ammunitions, etc, these are some of the items to move yourself.  Try to use up all of your refrigerated items before moving day, if not right before the move put refrigerated items in a cooler, do not try to move them in a cardboard box.

HOW TO FILL YOUR BOXES:

Pack your boxes to the top, not bulging over or way under.  Humpback or overstuffed boxes don’t stack well or seal well, under packed boxes when stacked can crush.  Pack items so they reach the top.  If necessary, use newsprint or towels as filler so the boxes don’t have any “rattle” to them.  Seal both the bottom (before you fill) and the top once done with carton sealing tape.

MOVER BOXES:

 Use mover boxes if possible.  All movers, most self storage locations, and special box stores or websites are good sources to use for uniform correct moving boxes.  Some movers have specials on used cartons.  Check with your friends who have moved if they may have boxes left over containers.  Wardrobe cartons are generally loaned and rented by the movers and don’t need to be purchased.

With everything use common sense.  Don’t pack items you need daily, a week before the move, don’t pack heavy items with fragile items.  Leave yourself enough time to do a proper pack job.  Packing on the day of the move slows the process down, is inefficient and ultimately costly.